Subscription type television transmitter



NOV. 13, 1951 J. E. BROWN SUBSCRIPTION TYPE TELEVISION TRNSMLTTER 2' sHEETs-sx-IEET 1 Original Filed Sept. 30, 1948 HIWHIL..

HIS AGENT J. E. BROWN SUBSCRIPTION TYP TELEVISION TRANSMITTER Nov. 13, 1951 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 Original Filed Sept. 50,V 1948 Bww/ lm HL.

HIS AGENT Patented Nov. 13, 1951 SUBSCRIPTION Trier; rELEvisIoN TRANSMITTER Jesse E. Brown, Glencoe, Ill., `assignor to Zenith Radio Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Original application September 30, 1948, Serial No. V52,0779.4 Divided andY this applcraticnSep- @AT-ENT osFlcs Vtember 2,2, 1949, Serial No. 117,244

Claims.

This `invention relates to subscriber television 4systems in which image signals are transmitted in coded ferm on a first channel, and key Vsignals Afor decoding the coded image signals are transmitted solely to subscriber receivers on a second channel.

This application is a division of copending application Serial Number 52,079 iiled September '30, 1948, now Patent No. 2,567,545, granted Sept. `11, 41951, in the name of Jesse E. Brown, entitled the present assignee.

afsubscriber television system, in which the audio signals are also coded, such coding being effected "by means of frequency conversion of the audio signals by a coding signal, and in which such reproduction solely `in subscriber receivers.

.in theA appended claims.

terence :to the following description when taken 1in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, dnwhich:

`and

`iiled September 13,

:present invention to provide in such systems a be decoded only in subscriber receivers.

men-tA for codingthe image signal portion of a television signal.

2 application Serial No. 773,848, although any of the image signal coding systems disclosed in the previously mentioned applications may be used. The system of Figure 1 also includes an arrangement for coding the audio portion of the television signal in accordance with the present invention. The resulting television signal, consisting of coded image and coded audio signals, transmitted by this system may be reproduced solely in subscriber receivers to which appropri- II are l0 Subscriber Signalling System and assigned to ate key signals are being supplied. The various components of the systems of Figures 1 and 2 It "is 'an object ofthis invention to provide such have been described fully in application Serial No. 773,848 or are quite conventional, and a defsigfn-als which accompanying the coded image tailed description thereof is believed to be unnecessary.

In Figure 1, a television camera I contains the usual lens system 2 for focusing an image umn audiosignals are transmitted in coded form for an iconoscope, or image orthicon 3, which iconoscope is provided with the usual vertical scanning The featuresV of this invention which are becoil 4 and horizontal scanning coil 5. Video siglieved to be new are set forth with particularity nals developed lby the iconoscope 3 are amplified The invention itself, in video amplifier 6 and are subsequently transhowever, together with further objects and admitted to a synchronizing signal and pedestal vantages'thereof may best be understood by ref- 25 mixer I, in which pedestals and synchronizing signals are added to the video signals. The signals from mixer I are then transmitted through a background re-insertion device 3 to a carrier Figure 1 shoyvs a television system for transwave generator and modulator 9, in which the mitting coded audio and coded image signals, 30 video signals, properly adjusted as to background level, are modulated on a carrier wave which is Figure 2 shows a receiver for decoding and reradiated from antenna I0. producing the coded audio and coded image sig- Normal vertical and horizontal synchronizing vnals received from the transmitter of Figure 1. signals are generated by synchronizing signal Application Serial No. 742,374, Ellett et al., generators II, and these signals are impressed on entitled Radio Wire Signalling System, filed mixer 1 by way of leads I2 and I3 respectively. April 18, 1947, new Patent No. 2,570,046, granted Vertical synchronizing signals from generator II Mayo, 1950, and application Serial No. 773,848, are applied to vertical sweep generator I4, the Roschkc. entitled, Image lIfransmission System sweep signal output of which is impressed across 1947, now Patent No. 40 vertical sweep coil II of iconoscope 3. Horizontal 2,547,598, granted April 3, 1951, both assigned synchronizing signals from generators to .the present assignee, disclose and claim variapplied through delay line and switch I5 to horious television systems in which the image sigzontal sweep, generator I6, the sweep output of nal portion of the television signal is transmitted generator I6 being impressed across the horizonin coded fashion to subscriber receivers for retal sweep coil 5 of iconoscope 3. production in these receivers upon the receipt of Vertical synchronizing signals from generators vdecoding key signals. It is contemplated in the I I are frequency divided in frequency divider I l, these frequency divided signals being utilized to `circuit for coding the audio signal portion of the trigger key signal oscillator I8. A burst of sine television signal, which audio signal portion may wave key signal is derived from oscillator I8 in response to each frequency divided pulse applied rFigure 1 shows a system including an arrangethereto, and the key signal is transmitted to subscriber receivers over conductor I9. which con- The illustrated arrangement ductor vmay be telephone lines, power lines, or

I6 Vthe like. .'Ihe keyv signal is also applied to rectifirst detector stages 3,2.`

3 iier and switch operator 20 by way of leads 2I, each burst of key signal being rectified in stage 20 and conditioning this stage to actuate a switch in delay line and switch I in response to vertical synchronizing signals applied to stage by way of leads 22. In this manner, as fully described in application Serial No. 773,848, the key signal causes the delay line and switch I5 to delay the .of circuit 26 is to' code the audio signals by converting the frequencies thereof in a certain manner. To accomplish this, a coding signal 21, preferably in theform of a sine wave synchronized With the horizontal synchronizing signals, is obtained from synchronizing signal generators II. It is evident that coding signal 2'I may be obtained froma separate generator, this generator being In this manner, the image' chronizingV signals from stage 36 are applied to vertical sweep generator 3l, andthe sweep-output of this generator is applied to vertical scanning coil 38 of image tube 35. Horizontal synchronizing signals from separator stage 36 are applied through-delay line and switch 39 to horizontal sweep generator 4E), and the sweep output of` this generatoris impressed on horizontal scanning coil 4I of image tube 35. The delay line and switch 39 is operated to delay the horizontal synchronizing signals passing therethrough at intervals When the video signals in the received coded television 'signal are similarly delayed.

synchronized with the horizontal synchronizing signals, or some harmonic thereof. Circuit 26 may be of any known type, and when this circuit -is such that the output thereof consists jof the Vaudio signals modulated on the signal 2l, this -I output is passed through a band pass filter 28, which filter suppresses Ythe signal 21 and preferably the lower side band of the audio signals modulated thereon. The upper side band, which :contains the audio signal frequencies in non-inverted sequence, is modulated on a suitable carrier wavein carrier wave generator and modulator 29, which carrier Wave is radiated by antenna 30. In the present instance, low pass lter 25 would be so designed that only frequencies below the frequency ofsignal 21 are passed thereby, to avoid interference with the upper side band signals modulated Von the carrier wave in stage 29. AThe -signal 2'I may, when so desired, be frequency multiplied to a frequency which places the side bands of the modulated output of circuit 23 outside the audio frequency range, and lter 23 designed to suppress the frequency multiplied signal, and pass either the upper or lovverr side bands containing the audio signals, or both, which side bands are modu- Y, lated on the carrier Wave in stage 29. Furthermore, when desired, circuit 26 may be of the balanced modulator type whichsuppresses signal 2l and yields solely the desired side bands, and the band pass filter 28 may be designed to suppress one of these sidebands or may be eliminated. lHence, the audio signals are transmitted in vconverted or coded form, it being necessary to 4reproduce the signal 2l at the receiver to decode these signals.

In the receiver of Figure 2, the television signals `arereceived in antenna 3|,and these signals are amplified and mixed with a local oscillator signal in conventional radio frequency amplifier and Nthe video portion of thissignal is detected in video detector stage 33, and the detected video When the receiver is` Hence, the received television signals are decoded, and tube-35 reproduces these signals. The delay line and switch 39 is operated by key signal rectifier and switch operator 4I, which operator is actuated by the action of the key signal received on conductor I9, and vertical blanking pulses from the vertical sweep generator 3l received over leads 42 in a manner fully described'in aforementioned application Serial No. 773,848. y

,Thev coded audio signals contained-in the receivedl television signal are detectedin audio detector 43, and the detected audiosignals are impressed on decoding circuit |114.Y A decoding signal 45 having the same frequency, and phase as signal 2l of Figure l is also impressed on circuit 44. The signals 45 and 21 are preferably sine waves. The signa1.45 is obtained from decoding signal generator 45', this generator being synchronized by the horizontal synchronizing signals from separator 36 in the usual manner. The detected audio signals are decoded in decoding circuit 44 by the frequency reconverting action of signal 45,

land the decoded audio'signals are passed through a filter 46, which filter removes all but the signals corresponding to the original audio signal. The

signals passed by filter 46 are amplified in audio amplifier stage 4l and reproduced in signal trans- -lating device 48. Decoding circuit 44 may be of any known type, such as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 52,909 entitled, Coded 'Sound Signalling System, George O. Striker, filed October 5, 1948, now Patent No. 2,551,068, granted May 1, 1951, and assigned to the present assignee.

This invention therefore provides in a coded subscriber `television system, a simple audio signal coding system Vfor adding to the difficulty of the television signal might also beused, when so signal is amplified in video ampliiier stages 3.43145 YWhile certain specific embodiments ofthe lnvention have been shown and described, modications may bemade Withoutl departing therefrom. .The appended'claimsare intended to cover all such modifications as fall within, the true spirit and scope of the invention. f y v l 1. A subscription television transmitter comprising: a picture-converting deviceya scanning 'system for Vcontrolling said device to develop during 'recurrenttrace` intervals a video-frequency signal representing a scanned subject and including a synchronizing-signal generator for develop, ing a synchronizing signal during interposed retrace intervals; a mixer device coupled to said picture-converting device and to said synchronizing-signal generator for producing an image signal including in alternation said video-frequency signal and said synchronizing signal; means coupled to said mixer device for transmitting said image signal to a point remote from said transmitter; an audio-signal source; a coding circuit coupled to said source for coding an audio signal therefrom in response to an applied signal; a coding-signal lgenerator coupled to said synchronizing-signal generator for producing a coding signal synchronized with said synchronizing signal and for applying said coding signal to said coding circuit; and means coupled to said coding circuit for transmitting said coded audio signal to said remote point.

2. A subscription television transmitter comprising: a picture-converting device; a scanning system for controlling said device to develop during recurrent trace intervals a video-frequency signal representing a scanned subject, and including a synchronizing-signal generator for developing a synchronizing signal during interposed retrace intervals and for also developing a coding signal synchronized with said synchronizing signal; a mixer device coupled to said picture-converting device and to said synchronizing-signal generator for producing an image signal including in alternation said video-frequency signal and said synchronizing signal; means coupled to said mixer device for transmitting said image signal to a point remote from said transmitter; an audio-signal source; a coding circuit coupled to said source and to said synchronizing-signal generator for coding an audio signal from said source in accordance with said coding signal; and means coupled to said coding circuit for transmitting said coded audio signal to said remote point.

3. A subscription television transmitter comprising: a picture-converting device; a scanning system for controlling said device to develop during recurrent trace intervals a video-frequency signal representing a scanned subject, andincluding a synchronizing-signal generator for developing a synchronizing signal during interposed retrace intervals and for also developing a coding signal synchronized with said synchronizing signal; a mixer device coupled to said picture-converting device and to said synchronizing-signal generator for producing an image signal including in alternation said video-frequency signal and said synchronizing signal; means coupled to said mixer device for transmitting said image signal to a point remote from said transmitter; an audio signal source; a coding circuit coupled to said source and to said synchronizing-signal generator for converting the frequency of an audio signal from said source in accordance with said coding signal; and means coupled to said coding circuit for transmitting said frequency-converted audio signal to said remote point.

4. A subscription television transmitter comprising: a picture-converting device; a scanning system for controlling said device to develop during recurrent trace intervals a video-frequency signal representing a scanned subject, and including a synchronizing-signal generator for developing a synchronizing signal during interposed retrace intervals and for also developing a coding signal synchronized with said synchronizing signal; a mixer device coupled to said picture-converting device and to said synchronizing-signal generator for developing an image signal including in alternation said video-frequency signal and said synchronizing signal; a first coding circuit coupled to said scanning system for coding said image signal in accordance with a coding schedule; means coupled to said mixer circuit for transmitting said coded image signal to a point remote from said transmitter; an audio-signal source; a second coding circuit coupled to said source and to said synchronizing-signal generator for coding an audio signal from said source in accordance with said coding signal; and means for transmitting said coded audio signal to said remote point.

5. A subscription television transmitter comprising: a picture-converting device; a scanning system for controlling said device to develop during recurrent trace intervals a video-frequency signal representing a scanned subject, and including a synchronizing-signal generator for developing a synchronizing signal during interposed retrace intervals and for also developing a coding signal synchronized with said synchronizing signal; a mixer device coupled to said picture-converting device and to said synchronizing-signal generator for developing an image signal including in alternation said video-frequency signal and said synchronizing signal; a first coding circuit coupled to said scanning system and responsive to an applied signal for coding said image signal; a key-signal generator coupled to said synchronizing-signal generator for applying a key signal to said rst coding circuit and coupled to a line circuit for transmitting said key signal to a point remote from said transmitter; means coupled to said mixer for transmitting said coded image signal to said remote point; an audio-signal source; a second coding circuit coupled to said source and to said synchronizing-signal generator for converting the frequency of an audio signal from said source in accordance With said coding signal; and means for transmitting said frequency-converted audio signal to said remote point,

JESSE E. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,754,876 Clement Apr. 15, 1930 1,790,486 Roberts Jan. 27, 1931 2,251,525 Rosenthal Aug. 5, 1941 2,402,067 Mathes June 11, 1946 2,403,059 Dillenback July 2, 1946 2,472,774 Mayle June 7, 1949 

